Saturday, April 22, 2006

This Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter is also now known as Divine Mercy Sunday. This was instituted by Pope John Paul II in 2000. The concept was revealed to St. Faustina, a Polish nun, whom Pope John Paul II canonized in 2000.

I think that some places are still not used to the fact that there is a specific feast here. While several churches in our diocese are having special services on Sunday afternoon, our priest said nothing about it during the vigil mass today. Which is a shame.

It's a shame because the concept of Divine Mercy is such a hopeful one. It is a reminder to us that God loves us and that his mercy is infinitely great. All we need to do is ask.

One way to ask for mercy is to say the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It's really quite simple and easy to learn.

There is also the Divine Mercy Novena. Which in revelations to St. Faustina, Jesus asked be said starting on Good Friday, culminating in Divine Mercy Sunday.

We said the Novena this past week in our household. My husband and I had decided to do it, and we asked the kids if they wanted to participate. They were eager to. So for each day, starting with Good Friday, we got out our rosary beads, sat together and prayed the novena. On a day when the children were going to spend the night at Grandma's, my daughter was concerned about when we would say the novena. But since my husband comes home at lunchtime we were able to do it then. I was thrilled that she cared enough about it to worry about that.

Saying the novena has been a positive experience for our family, and I hope to find other devotions we can do together as well.

But right now I want to say another word or two about his Divine Mercy. God loves us, and he wants to forgive our sins. He is not up in heaven with a tally sheet saying - oh he forgot to confess that one, or boy, I've got her, that's a sin and she doesn't even realize it. He's not out to get us. He loves us and wants us to love Him.

He wants us to love Him. That's the key. And if we love Him, we want to be good - we will not want to commit sins. And if we've done bad in the past - and if we are imperfect and are still committing sins, we just need to ask for God's mercy: It's infinite and He wants to share.

Friday, April 21, 2006

It was a little over a year ago now, when the world found out that we had a new Pope. I remember I was driving someplace with my son, who was five at the time. I heard the news on the radio, and I told my son the news - didn't know how much he would really care, but I figured he ought to know.

A little later, when we were going to be getting my daughter from school, I asked my son if he wanted to tell his sister the news about the new Pope.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

When my darling daughter was 4 I was going to tell her the story of Easter. She told me she already knew it. And proceeded to tell me this story.

When they laid Him down they wrapped Him up in cloth and then they prayed for Him. Then they made a table for His family and they laid Him on the table. The table was made out of stone. Everybody was sad because they would miss Him. And then on the third day the two Marys (not the ones that were Jesus’s Mommies, only two Marys) then the two Marys said where is Jesus. The Angel said (he was a boy Angel) – the angels said “Don’t worry, He’s outside the cave waiting for you to tell His whole human beings.” So they went to tell His human beings about Him and then they told everybody in the city of Egypt. Then Jesus went to Egypt to see His men. They wrapped Him up in purple robes and everyone laughed. Then He looked and then He went over to the two Marys and everyone was happy.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

I believe in transubstantiation. I believe that at the consecration during Mass the bread and wine becomes Jesus. So, why, after I receive communion am I not jumping for joy with the fact that Jesus has allowed me this closeness with him?

I was contemplating this the other day at Mass and decided that I really need to internalize that belief more. It's one thing to believe intellectually, it's another to truly internalize that belief and live on it.

And do other people experience the joy that should come with having just received our Lord in communion? Judging from the faces of the people coming back from receiving communion, it doesn't seem so. It's just another thing to do, just another ritual.

But there was one young man, a man who appeared to have some mental disabilities, being led up the aisle by his father. And after he got communion, and was on his way back, he literally jumped in the air and shouted for joy - three times - before his father caught up with him.

And I thought. He gets it. He's the one who gets it - out of all these people here, this one young man is the only one who is truly getting the joy he should out of receiving communion.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

My nine-year-old daughter was saying the rosary in her room, in bed, with a small light on. She says she got to about the 30th Hail Mary, when she suddenly forgot how to say the Hail Mary. Which, she acknowledges was a little strange, because she had just said so many of them. So she got out of bed, got her prayer book, looked it up, re-memorized it and continued.

But then, all the things that were red in her room began to seem like they were glowing. And she heard screams in her mind - like the sounds you might hear in Hell.

She was scared, bhe kept praying the rosary. And by the time she had said ten more Hail Mary's, she had the picture in her mind of an angel coming to her. The angel took her by the shoulders, and kicked the devil, and the devil slunk away.

That's when the tears came, and she came to tell me about it.

I told her she did absolutely the right thing. The devil can't stand our prayers. He must leave if we tell him to, in the name of Jesus.

I also suggested, that since her guardian angel seemed to be on duty, she should ask his/her name.

The next morning she told me a name popped into her head, but she's not sure it's right: Anna Garabaldi. I don't see why it's not right - though I didn't know angels had last names.

It's very good to know that when evil is around the angels are there to protect us.